Whitfield County officials may reduce the number of inmate labor crews contracted from the Georgia Department of Corrections.
At Monday night’s Board of Commissioners meeting, officials renewed the contract with no changes after discussion and a reassurance from Public Works Director Alex Baker that the board could terminate the contract with seven days notice.
Whitfield County contracts four inmate crews at a rate of $39,500 each, totaling $158,000 annually. Each crew can consist of up to 10 men, but usually includes seven.
“They don’t cost much, but we aren’t getting a full day of labor,” said Chairman Mike Babb. “Do they really bring value?”
One crew of five men costs the county the equivalent of three full-time employees, he said.
“As long as they stay busy, if half a crew showed up half the year, it’s still a bargain,” said Commissioner Mike Cowan.
He pointed to a recent cost-benefit analysis, which confirmed the contract’s value.
“You’re not going to get it done cheaper,” Mr. Cowan said.
According to the contract, two crews work with the county’s concrete crews, one crew pairs with the Public Works and Recreations departments for general maintenance and light construction and one crew performs trash pickup and assists with mowing. The contract includes the cost of a supervising guard’s salary and transportation to and from jobs sites.
Mr. Baker explained that, given the current amount of concrete jobs, specifically sidewalks and crosswalks within Dalton, the corrections crew usually paired with the Recreation Department has been assisting the county’s concrete crews.
Commissioners Harold Brooker and Greg Jones both proposed motions to cut the number of crews to three and two, respectively. They cited projects stretching far beyond an acceptable timeline due to the transportation delays, sporadic availability and limitations that prohibit the inmates working in certain weather.
The two commissioners also noted complaints from other county officials concerning the number of crews.
The board discussed the possibility of maintaining contracts for the crew involved in trash pickup while seeking private companies for the increased level of concrete work.
“When it’s costing us more money than we can get it done by a private (contractor), I have a problem,” said Mr. Brooker.
While Mr. Baker said the crews perform well when they are working, he added he has “mixed feelings” about the contract.
“We definitely have enough (work) to keep one crew busy, but that’s not to say we couldn’t bid that out,” he told the board.
Mr. Babb said he thinks the public supports the idea of prisoners giving back to society through public work and that there are useful tradesmen within the crews.
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